My dream of a matching washer and dryer down to the drain

Yep, that's right.....my washing machine died last Thursday.  It couldn't have come at a worse time for the Bautista's.  What's up with the timing here, huh?  Why couldn't it have happened six months ago.  Is there a switch on expensive appliances/vehicles that goes off when the family income is cut?  It's like the appliance devil sneaks in your house and zaps your appliances with his wand at the worse possible timing ever.  I've been telling my family for the last year that when one of them died (no not one of THEM but the washer or dryer) I was going to get a matching set.  I've never had a matching washer and dryer in 27 years.  Sad isn't it?  Does it really matter that your washer and dryer match?  Does that mean that your clothes come out nicer and unwrinkled?  Do the matching washer and dryer meet your company at the door?  Do the washer and dryer make a fashion statement for your home?  Nope....they are hidden away in the laundery room with the huge dog crate and 15 year-old cushions off a long-gone couch covered with a worn-out blanket.  However, matching would be a perk-me-up for the dog bedroom/laundry room and maybe a little bit of motivation for doing the laundry.  So Joe and I set off this weekend to see about a new washing machine.  Another question I have......when you don't have a washing machine, why do you have more clothes to wash?  Why does the laundry basket spring a leak when there is no way to plug the leak?  Plugging our leak cost us $686 on Saturday.  Needless to say, I didn't get my matching dryer.  They are delivering our "leak protection" tomorrow. 

I'm too old for this!

Ok, I had this unbelievable phone interview on Monday.  I've had them before, a few years ago when I was looking to go to work with another transcription company.  Now THAT was the kind of interview I was expecting....didn't happen!  This chick wanted to know REAL stuff.  I even lied, but it was a good lie and totally worked!  She asked me what type of reference material I had.  It's true that you can Google just about anything now and get your information.  Being a transcriptionist, though, you have to be sure the information you are getting is correct.  There are about 3 websites that I use and are very reliable.  I had prepared myself prior to the interview and written down some things that I felt sure she would ask me.  Yep......she asked about the reference material.  I clicked off the websites that I use and felt really cocky (in your face girlfriend!).  She then asked if I had the "AAMT Book of Style".  My jaw dropped and of course I said "Yes, of course I do."  What I really wanted to say is "Duh, who doesn't, to be a great transcriptionist you have to have it.  I use mine daily, don't you?" (even though I don't!) but I didn't think that was very professional.  She then asked "What edition?"  Let me tell you, if you don't have the stinkin' book how are you supposed to know what edition you are "supposed" to have.  I don't know how many editions are out there.  By this point, my ears are hot and my heart rate is well over 100.  I told her I wasn't sure what edition I had because "My book is in the car..."  Huh????  Why would my AAMT Book of Style be in a car?  Maybe I could have said "We just took a road trip and I was doing some reading up to be a better transcriptionist" or "I like to have it with me when I sit and wait while picking up my son from school" or "it was really raining and flooding here last night, so I put the book in the car in case we had to evacuate."   I fully expected her to say "I'll hold on while you run out to the car and get it."  You know how you doodle while you're on the phone........at this point, my doodles became almost devilish looking!!  Panic will do that to a body holding a pen.  She then asked me "What color is your book?"  Well, duh, if you don't even HAVE the book how are you supposed to know what color it is?  I mean really, COME ON lady, enough of the stupid book already.  I just blurted out "BLUE."  I had, by that point, doodled all the way down through about 3 reams of paper!!!  She then told me that I had the 2nd edition (but of course I do!).  Guess what I did.........I ordered one from Amazon yesterday because I have another phone interview later next week when the head honcho gets back from vacation!  I'm afraid she will ask me something that is actually in my BLUE book.  You can bet I made sure the book I ordered was the prettiest blue you've ever seen.  The interview was an hour long.  She kept saying things like "well let me ask you this before we get into the interview portion".  Are you kidding me......if these questions keep getting any harder I'm just going to hang up!  Now the bad news..........they got over 100 applications for this new orthopedic clinic and are only hiring 4 transcriptionists.  All I have to say is that it is a good thing I have a new blue book coming.........wonder what I will have to lie about next week with the "Donald Trump" chick from Opti-Script!!!  I'm too old for this...........

Birthday surprises!!

Friday was Joseph's 25th birthday.  I HATE not having my children home on their birthdays.  I can't make a cake for them, I can't hug them and tell them "Happy birthday", and can't just look at them and wonder where my little one has gone and this adult/almost adult (Daniel) has come from.  I can't just "have" them for the day.  So, being that Joseph is now living in New Mexico, I had to go all through February 18th hating the fact that I couldn't even talk to my baby.  I called him around 5:00 that evening thinking he wouldn't be out of bed before that because he works nights.  He didn't answer.  I left a message telling him happy birthday and that he REALLY should answer his phone on his birthday.  As we were sitting at the table for dinner, the door bell rang.  I knew one of the kids would get it, thinking that it was a kid selling something.  Next thing I know, there's my mother and father from Tennessee coming in for MY birthday (yes I'm 51) on Saturday.  What a sweet surprise that was.  I miss them so much.  My family did a great job of keeping the secret from me.  I had absolutely NO clue!!  I called Joseph again around 8:30 that night and he finally answered and said he was out with friends.  I talked to him a few minutes and then handed the phone off to Joe.  Sadness set in for my baby and his birthday with no birthday cake and no family hugs or present opening. 

Saturday Joe, Christina, Daniel, Mother, Daddy and I went up to Shallo's Pub in Indy for a late lunch/early dinner.  Christina got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back there was this "person" with her.  It was my birthday boy who had flown in the night before.  Was I shocked?  Was I happy?  Was I wondering who this Grizzly Adams was?  You bet.  His hair is down to his shoulders (really longer than that, but it curls).  Funny how he wouldn't let me cut a little swatch off for his baby book!!!  He has this full face beard that is in need of a complete makeover, if one can do a makeover to a beard/moustache.  My family did a great job of keeping that secret too!  For the first time in over 2 years, I had all 3 of my babies under our roof.  Is there anything that can make a mother happier?  That ranks right up there.  Yesterday I took him to Indy to get a rental car.  He is going to spend today and tomorrow going to see friends and out to the base in Terre Haute to visit the people he worked with for 6 years before he jumps on a plane back to New Mexico on Wednesday.  So yesterday I had to hug and kiss my little baby goodbye once again.  This time it was a different feeling.  He is leaving for Iraq in April and then Afghanistan.  My heart breaks thinking about that.  How does a mother say goodbye to her baby knowing that he is going into a war zone?  I'm sick when I think about it, but oh so proud too.  Such a bittersweet feeling.  For the next year I will be the mightiest prayer warrior on the face of the earth.  We did manage to squeeze in some family pictures yesterday though, and I'm so glad the 5 of us could get together for that before he gets deployed.  So now this mother has to have faith in God to keep my baby safe while he goes out to the land from hell and protects this wonderful country of ours.  Keep him safe God and bring him home to us. 

It's a Monday morning, the start of a new week, but I'm kind of sad.  I don't know when I'll get to see Joseph again and I know he won't be the same after experiencing everything he will over in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I just hope he comes home with a great appreciation for what we have here in America and the love of friends and family......and finally gets a haircut and shaves!

On a lighter note, I got a really sweet present from my sweet husband.  He gave me a really beautiful scrapbook.  I love scrapbooking.  I put a huge one together for Christina when she graduated from high school and enjoyed every second of doing it.  Well........Joe and I started our "new" life together the first part of November and I have been saving every little thing and momento since then in an ugly manilla envelope.  He gave me the scrapbook to start making them look pretty!!   I'm so looking forward to starting it.  Thanks Joe.  It will be such fun looking through it when we are old and tired....remembering the sweet times we have had together.  I love you....my BFF!!!  Here's to making many wonderful memories with you!

Well.....the countdown is over

That's right, I haven't gotten any faxes for work since last Tuesday....over a week ago.  I think I have filled out 5,000,000 applications and taken 25,000,000 tests.  Still no job offers.  I keep getting the same reply...."sorry we have no positions right now, but we will keep you on our call back list for future positions."  Thanks but that really doesn't help me RIGHT NOW, does it? 

I've been checking into court reporting.  Wow, the cost is unreal.  85 credit hours at $350/credit hour.  Yep, that's $30,000, not counting in the technology fees, application fees, stenograph machine that costs about $1000, and it's only an associates degree.  Looks like the average salary for court reporting is about $50,000 or more.  However, you have to fork out bucks to get through school.  Nope, court reporting won't work.  I've looked into Medical Assistant schooling.  They offer a 2-year program at a local school (well about 30 minutes from here).  Hmmmmmm, the cost is nothing compared to court reporting.  However, how do you pay for school when you have no job?  Nope, medical assistant school won't work. 

Looks like I'm back to applying online for MT jobs and taking tests.  That sucks!

My next countdown has started.  April 17th my "baby" boy gets deployed.  He's heading to Iraq for a few months, back to Fort Bragg for training, and then he's off to Afghanistan for a few months.  Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be Intelligence Analysts. 

4 days and counting........

Here it is January 27th, 4 days until the first of the month.  CHECKMATE!  And....I'm not the winner in this game of chess.  I have had no job opportunities knock down my door.  I haven't even had a soft, muffled tapping on the window either.  I've filled out a bunch of applications.  In fact, this morning, I spent 3-1/2 hours doing an assessment test for another medical transcription company.  I have to say it was a very difficult job.  The voice files were horrible.  There were SIX of them.  My foot pedal wouldn't work.  I had to use the stinkin' F (no I'm not just abbreviating the F word here....literally the F keys!!!) keys on the keyboard.  Do you know how hard it is to type and control the voice files with your fingers?  Not an easy task.  Cardiology, orthopedics (yep easiest for me), OB/GYN (some chick had a fibroid the size of Manhattan), neurology (poor kid had seizures), general surgery, and ENT.  If I don't hear something from someone in the next 5 or 6 days, I guess this tired, old, fat mommy is heading over to the local Wal-Mart and putting in an application.  YUCK!!!  I have no other options.  AND I'll have to work in the evenings.  Tell me that doesn't suck BIG TIME.  So, pray that a mommy or daddy will call (a few mommies or daddies) for babysitting in the next 5 days or this transcribing company calls me in the next 5 days and offers me a job.  Pray that after I receive the call offering me the job that it pays at least 0.10 a line.  One thing I can honestly say is that I have the best cheerleader here at home.  Joe is such a trooper and is very understanding and kind.  He has confidence that it will all work out and everything will be okay.  What a great comfort to me!  Thanks my BFF!!!  I like having you in my corner!

And Mary, I'd  absolutely LOVE to open that bakery with you.  I'm into decorating cakes now and think that would be such a fun job.  You could be the scones queen and I could be the cupcake/cake queen.  However, you realize, of course, we would have to get a liquor license?  We could NOT possibly stand on our feet all day cooking marvelous bakery items without having a margarita or glass of wine, right???  The guys could be our guinea pigs, I mean critics.  Sorry Joe and Mike.......

So here's to the last 5 days of my 13-year "career" with Southern Indiana Orthopedics. 

Same career....different day.

Don't you ever wonder why things happen the way they do?  I'm over wondering about my job.  Bottom line.....as of February 1, I WON'T HAVE ONE.  That stinks.  Don't corporate people understand that there is tuition, college rent, mortgage, etc?  What's up with them only thinking of the company and not the little "nothings" that actually do the work?  What's up with the lies and the not sharing of important information?  I guess Joe is right, I would be a HORRIBLE manager.  I couldn't do that to anyone.  I'm not a "career woman", never have been and never will be.  I'd be happy to volunteer at the local hospital or nursing home and not make a penny.  I'd be happy to clean my house like I used to and keep the laundry and ironing up.  However, kids grow up and cost a bundle of money.  I am going to have to find a new job in the next couple of weeks, and I know it is going to be doing the thing I hate the most.......transcription.  I wish, since I'm being forced to find a new job, that I could make a career change (even though I'm not career oriented).  I'd love to do something fun and meaningful (well meaningful to me).......make cookies, shopping for others, mowing yards in the beautiful sunshine, work at a gym and be a trainer like Jillian on The Biggest Loser (except I wouldn't use the raunchy language she uses),  make cool things with my sewing machine and open a really cool store, open a daycare with my friends and sing Barney songs all day.  See, I have ambition. 

So, I have 12 days to find a new job, and there is only so much Googling you can do to find a new career field. 

My BFF

Joe.......my BFF!  I miss him during the day when he is at work.  I find myself thinking about him all day long.  Thank goodness we have email.  It's so cool opening up my email and seeing that I have an email from him.  I look forward to spending time with him, whether we go and do something or just sit and do nothing but watch TV.  It will only be 2-1/2 more years and all of the kids will be out of the house.  It is such a warming feeling to know that we like/love each other and will enjoy our "empty nest" time.  He makes me smile, he makes me feel loved, he just plain makes me happy.  Thank you God for blessing us with this new-found love for each other.  I can't remember a time in my life that I've been happier.  I love you Joe....my BFF!

College costs......Really???

Isn't it funny.......just when you think you might be a tad bit ahead of the game, something else comes up.....like college text books.  $563!!!  What's up with that?  I can go to Barnes and Noble and buy a big book for $40 or so.  Why are school books so stinkin' expensive.  Does it cost more to make these books?  Are these books written by Puliziter Prize winners?  Are the buy-back rates better than 25% of our cost?  And while we're on the subject of college, is it REALLY necessary for a girl who is majoring in speech pathology to take an aerobics class or a geography class or a computer science class.  Huh?  I can only imagine how much her graduate school will cost.  Wish we would have won the $355,000,000 lottery last night.  Joe had to take a class this past summer in order to renew his teaching license.  We had to pay $1300 for him to learn to relax.  But, by golly, his teaching certificate was renewed and now he can go back into the classroom and stress out.  I don't think we got our $1300 worth!!  They don't teach you how to deal with gang members or losers who have a GPA of 0.08.  While I'm complaining about the education system, Christina has to take a class that is only offered at night.  She will be out after dark from 6 until 9:15.  Just a couple of months ago, one of her roommates was assaulted at knifepoint in their apartment stairwell.  She ended up being admitted to the hospital.  Her being out after dark by herself does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling.  Now I have something else to worry about.  It was so much easier when they were all in preschool/elementary school. 

Meet the Bautista Family

We are the Bautista's.....Joe, Luanne, Joseph, Christina, and Daniel.  There are also four-legged Bautista's...Romo and Landry (Great Danes), Nalla and Reese (Schnoodles) and Sisco (cockatiel).  There have been many, many animals that have lived in our house, thanks to our Christina.  You name it, we have probably had it at some time during her 20, almost 21, years.  Joe is a high school math teacher.  I have always been a stay-at-home mother, but I have been doing medical transcription out of the home for approximately 13 years (not my favorite thing in my life).  Joseph will be 25 in about 6 weeks.  He lives in New Mexico and is an intelligent analyst for the military. He is not in the military but works for the military.  We are SO proud of him.  However, it looks like he may be deploying to Iraq in March/April for 4 months, then back to New Mexico for 4 months, and then off to Afghanistan.  Makes a mother sad but proud at the same time.  Scares the crap out of me though.  However, he is very happy with his job, so that makes us happy too.  We miss him terribly.  We haven't seen him in almost a year.  He left last February, and we haven't seen him since.  Thank goodness for today's technology though.  Christina is 20 and a Junior at Ball State University studying speech pathology.  She has found her niche and is an outstanding student.  Her GPA this last semester was 4.0!  We are so proud of her too!  She has 3-1/2 years left until she gets her Master's, but we know that this time will fly by so fast.  Daniel is 16 (getting his driver's license in March......HATE IT!).  He is a sophomore in high school.  He is a happy kid.  He's been smiling since he was born.  He is a compassionate kid and always finds the good in everything.  He doesn't know what he wants to do with his life yet, but I'm sure he will figure it out soon. 

I'm starting this blog not only to do some journaling but also to keep the Mom and Dad accountable to a couple of things.  Joe and I are embarking on a training mission today.  We are going to attempt a Duathlon in May.  Yep........that's right........a duathlon.  We don't have any desire to swim, so no triathlon for us.  However, the duathlon makes up for that.  It is really a "mini" duathlon.....5k run, 20k bike ride, and another 5k run after that.  I'm a fat mommy, so this is a double whammy for me.  I'm training for the duathlon but am also doing it to lose a good deal of weight.  I would love to post some pictures, but haven't figured out that portion of the blog yet.  Maybe the daddy-man can do that for us.  Joe is also beginning training today for a RAIN bike ride.  RAIN....."Ride Across Indiana".  It is a 160 mile bike ride in 1 day.  Yes.......that is ONE day.  I know he can do it.  We have great road bikes and he LOVES to ride.  Me......love to ride, but not 160 miles!!  I'm going to be his support crew (crew meaning just me!).  I will provide water bottles, bananas, etc at designated stops throughout the route for him.  I'm looking so forward to it.  I love having something planned to do with him. 

Joe and I have been married for almost 27 years.  We have had ups and downs over the past years, but we have found the "up" and are best friends!  I love him so much, and I can't even describe the happiness that I feel with him.  He is a such a gentleman.  He has opened my car door for me for the last almost 27 years.  Can anyone of you women out there say that about your husband???  We had a fabulous Christmas this year (well last year..2010!) and am looking so forward to the next 50! 

So.......here's to a brand new year, happy and healthy children, a fantastic marriage, and great success with training for the Bautista family (and success with weight loss for the mother!).